Three straight losses have the Hawks at a 18-17-5 record 40 games into the season and remaining on the outside of the playoff picture.
Chicago Blackhawks GM Dan Bacon was said to have been mumbling to himself throughout the evening. Most office employees chose to leave him alone. However, one brave young intern had the balls to enter the corner office and was able to ascertain what Bacon was mumbling over and over and over.
McDavid. McDavid. McDavid.
Live look into Blackhawks GM Dan Bacon’s office after their 5-3 loss to the GM-less Arizona Coyotes on Friday night.
Rumor has it Bacon had engaged San Jose Sharks GM J-P Mercier over the previous week in an attempt to pry McDavid once he hit the trade block. Those efforts were met with a hefty price that Bacon just could not pull the trigger on.
That is, until the team just kept putting up lackluster performances and on Saturday afternoon Bacon reached out to Mercier and asked if his previous offer was still on the table.
Mercier confirmed it was and Bacon made the difficult decision to part with star player Mathew Barzal, stalwart up and coming defenseman Ryan Lindgren and the key to the deal, future superstar Seth Jarvis.
Connor McDavid was now a Chicago Blackhawk.
The pressure is extreme. The expectations are sky-high. McDavid was brought in for one reason: right the ship, make the playoffs, and lead the Hawks to a championship.
If McDavid is unable to contribute to a turn-around for this underperforming team, one has to wonder how hot the seat is for head coach Craig Berube or even Bacon. How long will ownership settle for less than expected results on the ice?
Stay tuned. There is never a dull moment in Chicago and the rest of the season should be no exception.